DAY 75: WYOMING & INTO NEBRASKA

It was a warm 69 degrees at 6:30 a.m. and reached the mid 90's by afternoon.  We left Buffalo, MT at 8 a.m. and  drove south on I-25 to the Flying-J at Casper, Wyoming where fueled-up.  We saw lots of Antelope along both sides of I-25 and a buck deer with a huge rack.  After lunch at the rest area at the junction of I-25 and Rt 26, we took 26-East.  Rt 26 follows the route of the old "Oregon Trail" and passes through ranch land and some very small towns.  One of the towns we passed through was Fort Laramie, with a population of only 243.  We encountered some short construction delays, but weren't held-up very long.  After entering Nebraska we continued to I-80 East and we're spending the night at the WalMart in North Platte.

IT'S NO BIG SURPRISE THAT THE SPORTS TEAMS IN THIS CITY ARE KNOWN AS THE "GHOSTS"

THIS ROCK FORMATION IS NAMED "CHIMNEY ROCK"

 NEBRASKA TOWN ALONG THE OLD "OREGON TRAIL"

THERE WAS JUST THIS ONE LONE TREE AND THESE CATTLE WERE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF IT'S SHADE WHILE THE TEMPERATURE WAS IN THE MID-90'S

THIS SMALL TOWN IS OBVIOUSLY PROUD OF IT'S COWBOY HERITAGE

DAYS 73 & 74: LITTLE BIGHORN BATTLEFIELD & INTO WYOMING

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 03, 2011:  Nancy and I had breakfast at the local cafe before we departed the St. Mary's, MT campground at 8:20 a.m.  It was a cool 54 degrees and sunny when we stopped for fuel in Shelby where we purchased our cheapest diesel so far on the trip at 3.829/gal.  By the time we reached Helena it had started to drizzle rain; soon the sky got dark and we experienced several rain storms and once it even hailed.  By 4:30 p.m. we were all ready to stop for the day so we're spending the night at the Bozeman, MT WalMart.

YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'LL SEE ON THE HIGHWAY

BLACKFEET INDIAN RESERVATION MONUMENT (I ALWAYS HEARD "BLACKFOOT" BUT "BLACKFEET" IS CORRECT, THEY WERE SO NAMED BECAUSE THEIR MOCCASINS  WERE BLACKENED BY CAMPFIRES)

THURSDAY AUGUST 04, 2011:  When we left Bozeman, MT it was a sunny 60 degrees.  When we arrived at the Little Bighorn National Park at about 11:30 a.m. we were surprised when we found the few RV parking spots full.  By that time we had no choice but to continue through the entire five mile tour loop with motor homes and tow vehicles still attached.  After we made the loop and exited the park we parked the motor homes at a nearby casino and returned to the park via the jeeps.  

We enjoyed a very informative "Ranger Talk" about the history prior to and during the battle infamously called "Custer's Last Stand."  I found that much of what I'd been taught about the battle was false and that Custer was unfairly blamed for the defeat. The Indian Tribes had agreed to treaties which gave them a reservation with lands including the Black Hills which were sacred to them. When gold was discovered in the Black Hills the government redrew reservation boundaries to exclude the area so the "white man" could access the gold.  Further, they had been promised food which didn't materialize and they were forced to leave the reservation to hunt for food.  The Army was ordered to return the Indians to the reservation, and if they wouldn't return, they were to be considered hostiles and eliminated.   Custer's 7th Calvary was only one of three units committed to the battle and Custer had no way of knowing that the other two units had met heavy resistance and weren't in place to support his position.  He and his men were all alone and were vastly outnumbered by angry Indians who had been betrayed by the US Government. Custer and his men had little cover and we even forced to kill their horses so they could take position behind their bodies.  Once the men of the 7th ran out of ammunition they were over run and killed.

By the time we returned to the motor homes it was 97 degrees, so we decided to overnight at a campground about 100 miles away in Buffalo, Wyoming.  The campground is very nice and we're running both air conditioners and hope to enjoy a restful night before we hit-the-road again at 8 in the morning.

IF YOU LOOK CLOSE YOU CAN SEE WHITE MARKERS ON THE BATTLEFIELD.  THESE MARKERS HAVE THE NAME OF SOLDERS KILLED ON THAT SPOT.   THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE IN THE US AND ONE OF ONLY THREE IN THE WORLD WHICH MARKS THE PLACES WHERE INDIVIDUAL SOLDERS DIED.  IN 2009 "RED" MARKERS WITH THE INDIAN'S NAMES WERE PLACED TO MARK WHERE THEY DIED.

THE DAY AFTER THE BATTLE THE INDIANS HAD WITHDRAWN AND THE OTHER ARMY UNITS HASTILY BURIED THE DEAD IN SHALLOW GRAVES.  YEARS LATER THE BODIES OF THE OFFICERS WERE RETURNED TO THEIR FAMILIES.  THE BODIES OF THE ENLISTED SOLDERS, 47% OF WHOM WERE IMMIGRANTS, WERE REBURIED IN A MASS GRAVE MARKED BY THIS MONUMENT.

  

DAY 72: EXPLORING THE "MANY GLACIER" AREA

Today was another beautiful sunny day even though it was a cool 63 degrees at 10 a.m.  However, by late afternoon the temperature was 82. We explored another area of Glacier National Park named "Many Glacier." According to a roadside information marker, in 1850 there were 150 Glaciers in what is now Glacier National Park, but if current melting trends continue there will be none remaining by 2030.  If that happens it will be a dramatic change to the landscape and habitat of the park.

VIEW FROM OUR CAMPSITE LOOKING TOWARD GLACIER NATIONAL PARK

ON OUR WAY TO "MANY GLACIER" WE HAD TO STOP FOR THESE HORSES WALKING ON RT. 89, THE MAIN ROAD IN AND OUT OF ST. MARY'S, MT

MOUNTAINS IN THE "MANY GLACIER" AREA

WILD "CHOKE" BERRIES

THE HISTORIC "GLACIER LODGE"

THERE ARE MANY WATER FALLS IN THE PARK

DAY 71: GLACIER NATIONAL PARK

When we were on our way to Alaska this Spring our plan was to visit Glacier National Park.  However, we found out that there was still 20 feet of snow there and the Park was still closed.  So on our return trip we routed south specifically through this area of Montana to the east side of Glacier so we could visit Park.  After arriving we found out that the road through the park wasn't open until July 13th and even then it took dozers to clear the snow. We wanted to travel the "Going-To-The-Sun Highway" which crosses the Park east to west.  This morning Nancy and I rode a park shuttle bus as far a Logan Pass and decided that wasn't the way to do the trip; so we rode the bus back to the Visitor's Center and got our jeep.   We had a great trip and drove the entire 50 mile length of the "Going-To-The-Sun Highway" and back. As the name suggests the highway climbs high into the mountains with beautiful vistas everywhere you look.  There was quite a bit of traffic and some road construction delays, however it was warm and sunny and we had a spectacular day.   

VIEW FROM THE GOING-TO-THE-SUN HIGHWAAY

A TURN AHEAD OF US ON GOING-TO-THE-SUN HIGHWAY

SNOW BESIDE THE ROAD ON AUGUST 1ST

THIS MOUNTAIN GOAT WAS HARD TO SEE UNTIL HE WALKED OUT OF THE SNOW AND ONTO THE GRASS

WATER FROM MELTING SNOW AND ICE

AS WE DROVE BY THIS WATER WE HAD TO RUN OUR WIPERS

MORE WATER BY THE ROADSIDE

RAPIDS IN MOUNTAIN STREAM

WILD DUCKS IN STREAM

ONE OF THE TUNNELS ON THE ROADWAY

LOOKING ACROSS LAKE McDONALD

WILD HUCKLEBERRIES 

SNOW AND ICE IN AUGUST

DAYS 67-70 THE TRIP OUT OF CANADA

DAY 67: THURSDAY JULY 28, 2011  Last evening we returned to Hyder to watch for bears at the Salmon River.  We saw two black bears, and one sow had her cub with her.  As we watched  a large male brown or grizzly bear came out of the woods looking for salmon in the river.  We also saw a black bear and cub on the road back to Hyder.  We went through Canadian Customs for the last time today as we left Hyder and Alaska behind.  After a long day of driving in the rain we stopped at a Walmart in Prince George, BC. for the night. 

SIGN POSTED WHERE WE HAD LUNCH

SIGN POSTED WHERE WE TOOK A REST STOP

DAY 68: FRIDAY JULY 29, 2011  Before leaving Prince George we fueled at a Flying J/Shell truck stop where diesel was 1.189/Liter; a good price for Canada. We drove through a portion of Jasper National Park on the Icefield Parkway and were surprised to learn that there was a fee of $21.00 per day just to drive the highway.  We were able to find two camping spots in a small campground in the park, and after a lot of maneuvering got the motor homes situated between the trees with only about a foot clearance on each side.  Ben and Bonnie went exploring all the way to Lake Louise and didn't get back until 10:30 p.m.  Nancy and I went to "Ice Central" a sort-of welcome center with displays and information on the glaciers and the building of the Icefields Parkway. The Parkway construction was by the Canadian equivalent of our Civilian Conservation Corps. 

WE SAW THIS ELK IN JASPER NATIONAL PARK

THIS GLACIER IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE "COLUMBIA ICE PACK" WHICH IS SO LARGE IT SPANS TRIPLE CONTINENTAL DIVIDES AND IT'S ICE MELT FED RIVERS FLOW INTO THREE OCEANS, THE ATLANTIC, PACIFIC AND ARCTIC

FROM ICE CENTRAL YOU CAN TAKE A GLACIER TOUR IN A MODERN VERSION OF THIS CONVERTED BUS W/ICE TRACKS 

DAY 69: SATURDAY JULY 30, 2011  When we got up this morning it was only 38 degrees which really seems strange at the end of July.  I checked our GPS and discovered that our altitude was 5,266 feet, I guess that somewhat explains the low temp.  We departed out campsite and traveled to Lake Louise where we had a nice lunch.  It was very crowded as it's a four day holiday weekend in Canada and it was a beautiful sunny day, which isn't all that common here.  After we passed through the outskirts of Calgary we proceeded south on Rt. 2 where we found a roadside "turnout" where we're spending the night.  BTW, it was 82 degrees this afternoon, the hottest temperature we've seen so far this year.

BEN & BONNIE ON THE ICEFIELDS PARKWAY

VIEW FROM ICEFIELDS PARKWAY

ANOTHER VIEW FROM ICEFIELDS

ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF CALGARY-TODAY THE SITE OF A DOG SHOW

DAY 70:  SUNDAY JULY 31, 2011  We continued our journey south and passed through US Customs and into Montana at 10:00 a.m.  The border crossing was very easy except we had to take the motor homes through the very narrow car lane.  The Customs Officer exited and directed us through the two large concrete posts with what seemed like an inch clearance for each mirror.  We got through okay, however when he directed Ben one of Ben's mirrors touched.        Just before we arrived in Piegan (Saint Mary's), MT  a black bear cub crossed the road just in front of us.  We checked into "Johnson's of St. Mary's Campground" at about 11 a.m. and we all had a great fried chicken lunch at their cafe; it was real home cooking and lots of it.  Later we went exploring and we checked out the Visitor's Center at the Glacier National Park.  The admission to the park was $25 for a 7 day pass; however, with our "America The Beautiful-Senior Pass" entry was free.  After checking out the Visitor's Center we drove the jeep about 5 miles into Glacier Park and we were very excited that we saw a black wolf, what a treat.

THIS AREA OF CANADA IS A LARGE PRODUCER OF CANOLA OIL AND FIELDS OF CANOLA LIKE THIS ARE VERY COMMON

DAY 66: STEWART & HYDER

The communities of Stewart, British Columbia and Hyder, Alaska are located at the head of the 90 mile long Portland Canal.  They are surrounded by the majestic coastal range of mountains, the Cambria Ice Fields and various glaciers.  The area around Steward was used as Spring and Fall hunting grounds for the Nass Indians before the white man arrived.  The native name for the Portland Canal is "Skam-A-Kounst" which means "Strong House" or Safe House" as it served as a place of retreat during inter-tribal wars.  By 1910 Steward was a bustling town of 10,000 residents.  It was joined to Hyder, then known as "Portland City," by a two mile long road on pilings across the tide flats.  Buildings, like the road, stood on pilings above the water and the remains of the pilings from the buildings and road are still visible today.  Mining and exploration in the surrounding mountains was the mainstay and the reason for the existence of both communities.  At one time there were more than 150 mines in operation in the area. Some of the richest mineral deposits in B.C. were found in the area and made it one of the major gold-silver districts in North America.

The population of Hyder at the 2,000 census was only 97 and the estimated per capita income was $21,902 in 2009.  Stewart had a population of less than 500 in 2005 and major industries are mining, logging and tourism.  While visiting the area I can see little to encourage young people to stay in the area and I can understand why the population is declining.  There are many properties which are for sale and others which appear abandoned. It is a remote and isolated area, and the availability of consumer goods is limited and expensive.  I found it interesting that when you cross the border into Hyder, Alaska there is no US Customs check; however, to re-enter Canada you must go through Canadian Customs. 

When we arrived in Steward yesterday our motorhome and jeep were very dirty and remain so as the campground forbids washing (it's raining anyway). There were about a gallon of gravel/rocks on the front bumper, hood and cowl vent of the jeep, and the plastic protective film I'd installed on the front and windshield was tattered and full of holes.  The jeep windshield now has three major chips and we have one in the motorhome windshield.  I'm sure glad we didn't tow Nancy's Pilot on this trip as it would no doubt need glass replacement and re-paint by the time we got home.

I hope it stops raining soon as we plan to go bear viewing again this evening. We drove around and explored the area this morning and are just going to rest this afternoon. I hope to post some pictures next time if we have any success with seeing bear this evening.  We can't be sure when we'll have internet access again, but I'll post an update when we do.  Our plan is to leave here tomorrow morning and backtrack north 40 miles on Rt. 37-A (The Glacier Highway) to continue our journey on the Cassiar Highway to the Yellowhead Highway which is Rt. 16.

LOGS FLOAT IN WATER WAITING TRANSPORT

BEAR GLACIER

WATER FALL ALONG THE GLACIER HIGHWAY

DAYS 63-65: TOK, ALASKA TO STEWART, BC CANADA

SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011  This morning the temperature was 58 and cloudy when we hooked-up the jeep behind the motorhome and left the campground in Tok, AK.  We stopped for diesel before we left Tok because it would be our last opportunity to by fuel in the USA for many days.  The diesel was $4.689/gal. but, was still cheaper than we'll find it in Canada. Soon after we pulled out of Tok it started to rain, but not too heavy. We cleared Canadian Customs and entered Canada with only the normal questions, no searches or inspections.  The road situation on the Alaska Highway has changed somewhat since we entered Alaska as there has been a lot of road work.  Now we there are fewer frost heaves (still a lot) and more very long gravel sections, many 20-30 miles long,  where the dust ahead hangs in the air for miles.  The gravel (rocks) are quite large and pepper your vehicle and the risk of damage or broken windshields is great.  It was still only 62 degrees when stopped for the night at a pull-off beside the Alaska Highway and had begun to drizzle rain again.

MONDAY JULY 25, 2011  When we got on the road again it was 59 degrees and still drizzling rain.  We stopped for fuel at White Horse, YT and continued toward Watson Lake. BC.  We stopped again north of Watson Lake to top off our tank as we understood fuel is hard to find on the Cassiar Highway. Soon after fueling we turned onto the Cassiar and found the going slow;  the road is narrow and built-up above the surrounding land with no shoulders.  If one were to get too close to the edge the 45 degree slopes would quickly cause you to overturn.  We stopped for the day around 4:30 p.m. at a business located in the middle of nowhere called "Jade City" which has a free RV parking area.  However, I soon found out once again that "there ain't no free lunch" because their gift shop is filled with "must haves" and we more than paid for our nights' stay.  Ben talked with the driver of another motorhome also staying a Jade City for the night and the driver said he got too close to the edge when he met a truck and slid over the side of the road.  Five hours and a $2,100 wrecker bill later he was on the road again with only minor damage and a broken windshield; he was very lucky.

SOME OF THE CASSIAR MOUNTAINS

TUESDAY JULY 26, 2011  We departed Jade City at 8 a.m. and it was cloudy with a temp of 52.  The Cassiar Highway , which is Route 37, has lots of road construction and we hadn't gone very far when we had to stop and wait about 20 min. for the "pilot car."  We were lucky as we were the first vehicle behind the pilot car as the road was so dusty that we couldn't see Ben behind us and much less the vehicles behind him.  We found similar situations with construction and dust as we continued on Rt. 37, however, it again started to drizzle rain which did help control the dust.  After lunch we saw three black bears before we turned onto Rt. 37-A toward Stewart, BC.  37-A has long grades and sharp curves, lots of log trucks and beautiful views including glaciers.  We checked in to the Bear Creek RV Park in Stewart around 4 p.m. and had dinner with Ben and Bonnie; Ben grills an excellent steak.  After dinner we drove the jeeps to Hyder, Alaska in hope of seeing bears catch salmon.  I was reminded again of why we choose to tow jeeps instead of another vehicle, as the roads in Hyder and beyond are dirt and very rough, so the going was slow.  It was very interesting to see the salmon swim up-stream in the shallow river and wallow out an area in the gravel bottom in which to lay their eggs.  We didn't have to wait too long before a mother black bear and her cub came to fish.  The mother bear tried and tried to catch a salmon but they were all to fast for her; but, we sure had fun watching her try.

BLACK BEAR TRIES TO CATCH SALMON

BLACK BEAR SOW AND CUB